Find Us Online:

About the Post

Author Information

I'm someone who's undergone a complete life/self overhaul. I'm now a professional in my dream job, balancing an amazing relationship, a healthy body, a healthy self image, my passions, my family and surrounding myself with good people. It's hard, not gonna lie. But I'm here to help, to inspire and say "you're not alone."

Post Information

You are here:Home»Me, today. 5.29.12. Do you have a Fear of Missing Out?

Me, today. 5.29.12. Do you have a Fear of Missing Out?

All of today’s conversations, and I mean all – were about how much fun and what exciting 10 things everyone did for memorial day with the extra 24 hours of non work freedom. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) ran rampant going into the weekend as I could see people scramble to jam pack their weekend with all the socialiness they can stand. Or to find the biggest, fashiest social gathering in town and get to it. Someone was shocked to find that I didn’t participate in a single eatingBBQwhileshootingfireworksandsippingmargaritas bonanza and asked, “Didn’t you feel like you were missing out?” And honestly, no. I did what I wanted to do with my time, giving it to the people I care about and myself. But it did get me thinking about FOMO, so much that I found this article.

FOMO: Do You Have a Fear of Missing Out?

FOMO, or the “Fear of Missing Out,” is something many of us have experienced. It happens when we start to feel nervous about not taking part in social events, like that awesome party anyone who’s anyone showed up to last weekend. FOMO can contribute to anxiety and depression — but, at the same time, there may actually be some perks to people’s fears about missing out. And while recent research suggests FOMO’s a phenomenon made bigger by social media, people have always been concerned about their social standing.

FOMO is often associated with a perceived low social rank, which can cause feelings of anxiety and inferiority[1]. When we miss a party, vacation, or any other social event, we sometimes feel a little less cool than those who showed up and snapped photos. In some cases, people are even afraid to miss out on bad stuff! (Not having a job is an exclusive club, after all.) FOMO is most common in people ages 18 to 33 — in fact, one survey of people in this age group found two thirds of participants said they experience these fears. The survey also suggests FOMO is more common among guys than ladies, though it’s still unclear why.Research suggests FOMO can take a pretty strong negative toll on psychological health. Constant fear of missing events can cause anxiety and depression, especially for young people. In more extreme cases, these social insecurities can even contribute to violence and feelings of shame[2].

Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of research on the way social media influences FOMO. Status updates and tweets (OMG best night ever!) let us know about all the exciting activities happening while we’re home catching up with The Jersey Shore crowd. Some psychologists even suggest FOMO helps drive the success of social media platforms, since we feel we need to use the technology to let us know what’s happening elsewhere. But, in some cases, FOMO may actually give us positive motivation to socialize with friends.

Have No Fear — Your Action Plan

Some argue the feelings associated with FOMO strengthen connections with others, encouraging people to be more socially active. While it might be anti-social to sit around Facebook stalking pseudo-strangers, it’s possible to use social media in a more constructive way, like keeping in touch with friends and planning activities. (Maybe it’s time to reconnect with an old buddy who lives nearby?)

And we can’t necessarily blame anyone’s social media feed for causing FOMO. Fears about missing out may be a type of cognitive distortion separate from technology, causing irrational thoughts associated with depression (like believing all those friends hate us if we didn’t get an invite to last week’s party). For people prone to these kinds of thoughts, modern technology may just exacerbate their fears about missing out. So unplugging all those gadgets might not solve the problem as well as cognitive behavioral therapy or another kind of talk therapy.

When scoping out other people’s plans, especially online, remember that many people project their most idealized selves on the web, so spy with a skeptical eye! And to those of us who are confident enough in our own plans for this Friday night… well, hats off.

FOMO describes a fear of missing out on social events.

Worrying about missing out can contribute to anxiety and depression.

Social media and technology may exacerbate people’s anxieties about missing out on social opportunities.

FOMO may be a kind of cognitive distortion, causing irrational thoughts associated with depression.

Many people project their most idealized selves on the web, so spy with a skeptical eye! Chances are there might be less to be jealous about than what first appears.